china

¹

[ chahy-nuh ]

noun

1. a translucent ceramic material, biscuit-fired at a high temperature, its glaze fired at a low temperature.
2. any porcelain ware.
3. plates, cups, saucers, etc., collectively.
4. figurines made of porcelain or ceramic material, collectively:

   a collection of china.

5. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a playing marble of china, or sometimes of porcelain or glass.

adjective

1. made of china.
2. indicating the twentieth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

China

²

[ chahy-nuh ]

noun

1. People's Republic of China.
2. Also called Nationalist China. Republic of China ( def ).

china

¹

/ ˈtʃaɪnə /

noun

1. informal.
   a friend or companion

China

²

/ ˈtʃaɪnə /

noun

1. People's Republic of China or Communist China or Red China
   a republic in E Asia: the third largest and the most populous country in the world; the oldest continuing civilization (beginning over 2000 years bc ); republic established in 1911 after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty by Sun Yat-sen; People's Republic formed in 1949; the 1980s and 1990s saw economic liberalization but a rejection of political reform; contains vast deserts, steppes, great mountain ranges (Himalayas, Kunlun, Tian Shan, and Nan Shan), a central rugged plateau, and intensively cultivated E plains. Language: Chinese in various dialects, the chief of which is Mandarin. Religion: nonreligious majority; Buddhist and Taoist minorities. Currency: yuan. Capital: Beijing. Pop: 1 349 586 000 (2013 est). Area: 9 560 990 sq km (3 691 502 sq miles)
2. Republic of China or Nationalist China or Taiwan
   a republic (recognized as independent by only 24 nations) in E Asia occupying the island of Taiwan, 13 nearby islands, and 64 islands of the Penghu (Pescadores) group: established in 1949 by the Nationalist government of China under Chiang Kai-shek after its expulsion by the Communists from the mainland; its territory claimed by the People's Republic of China since the political separation from the mainland; under US protection 1954–79; lost its seat at the UN to the People's Republic of China in 1971; state of war with the People's Republic of China formally ended in 1991, though tensions continue owing to the unresolved territorial claim. Language: Mandarin Chinese. Religion: nonreligious majority, Buddhist and Taoist minorities. Currency: New Taiwan dollar. Capital: Taipei. Pop: 22 610 000 (2003 est). Area: 35 981 sq km (13 892 sq miles) Former nameFormosa

china

³

/ ˈtʃaɪnə /

noun

1. ceramic ware of a type originally from China
2. any porcelain or similar ware
3. cups, saucers, etc, collectively
4. modifier made of china

   a china tea service

China

1. Nation in eastern Asia , bordered by Russia and North Korea to the east; Russia and Mongolia to the north; Russia and Afghanistan to the west; and Pakistan , India , Nepal , Bhutan, Burma , Laos , and Vietnam to the south. Its capital is Beijing , and its largest city is Shanghai .

Notes

Chiang Kai-shek , the leader of the Chinese Nationalists, established the government of Nationalist China (see also Nationalist China ) in 1928 in Nanjing .

The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 grew out of strong resentment of foreign influence in China.

The Second Sino-Japanese War, which lasted from 1937 to 1945 (merging with World War II in 1941), grew out of Japanese encroachments on Chinese land.

The Chinese communists , with Mao Zedong as their leader, defeated Chiang's Nationalists in 1949, proclaiming the People's Republic of China . The Nationalists withdrew to the island of Taiwan .

China is the most populous country in the world and the third largest, after Russia and Canada .

A revolution in 1911 overthrew the Qing dynasty, ending the two-thousand-year-old imperial system.

In the mid-1960s, Mao's wife, acting on his behalf, and three colleagues, later known as the Gang of Four , advanced the goals of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution , aimed at eliminating old ideas and customs. Mobs attacked schools and cultural centers, brutally disrupting the entire nation. With the death of Mao in 1976 and the trial of the Gang of Four in 1980, the Cultural Revolution came to an end.

Although China remains officially communist, its government encourages capitalism in designated areas, especially in its southeastern provinces. China has experienced considerable economic development in recent decades. Relations with the United States remain tense, especially over Taiwan , but the United States supported China's admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In 1989, the government brutally suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square .

In 1958, Mao undertook the “Great Leap Forward” campaign, a crash program of industrialization, but none of its goals were reached, and the effort collapsed.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China, reopening relations between mainland China and the United States.

In 1960, the ideological split between the Soviet Union and China widened, and the Soviets withdrew all aid.

In 1950, Chinese forces joined the North Korean army in the Korean War .

Word History and Origins

Origin of china¹

First recorded in 1645–55; by ellipsis from chinaware

Origin of china²

First recorded in 1550–60; of uncertain origin, but probably ultimately from Sanskrit Cīnas “the Chinese,” from Chinese Ch'in ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of china¹

C19: originally Cockney rhyming slang: china plate, mate

Origin of china²

C16 chiny, from Persian chīnī

Example Sentences

“I like to adopt the bull in the china shop theory, which is the tools you have to bend them to your will,” said Katya Alexander, president of Pillars Studio, on one of the panels.

From Los Angeles Times

A spotlighted table set with linens, china and glasses was left empty — to symbolize the hostages who remain in captivity as well as those who had been killed — during the Wednesday night dinner.

From Los Angeles Times

But a first-class dinner plate is made of more delicate china.

From BBC

Buyers could “try” a plate from the china set “to guarantee quality.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Duchess’s china chair was positioned at the edge of the ballroom.

From Literature